Very helpful article. I had read something similar not too long ago but not as clearly spelled out.
Not where I play, which is virtually all public courses. I have made it a mission to fix at least 3 ball marks on every green I see. That usually means 3 marks from others but now and again it can mean mine too. I'm working on that...
Never knew that. I thought I was doing right by replacing it but won't now. Does this apply to most/all types of grasses?
Now... I use a...

Slow play is the worst thing in a day-to-day round. For all the reasons mentioned above, plus those that insist on finishing that 4th putt for a 13. That guy is always in the foursome ahead of me. Pick it up already!
In tournament play, cheating is the worst. It's mostly ego driven. Cousin to the hacker who pulls a 9-iron for that 150 yard shot over water.

Isn't that "knitting"? Playing the same course two different times would present different conditions. Weather, your attitude, playing conditions, etc. I don't know that it is definitely wrong for handicap purposes but it doesn't seem right.
I have two different indexes. A 9-hole and an 18-hole neither of which is worth crowing about.

There's an old country club less than a mile form my house. $40K to get in the door plus $800 a month for food, drink, lockers, etc whether you use it or not. Eat/drink more and you pay more. The course is magnificent looking and plays great by all reports. The men's clubhouse is something else. Everything you could want. But for that kind of money I'd have to be there 24/7. They charge that kind of dough to keep me and the rest of the riff-raff out.
I'd say that these...

I use a Melitta filter. Ol' fashioned hot water over grounds in a paper filter but it works for me. I buy green beans and roast them to my liking. It's a little hassle but I couldn't drink another cup of crappy coffee again.
I think most machines are hit or miss. It comes down to a combo of your taste matching a particular brewer.

I nominate this for Post of the Year Award. Any post that starts "So there I was in Vegas for the porn awards..." and then spends 4 paragraphs talking about golf is too damn funny.
Sounds like it was a great time. Sounds tough even before the wind. I've heard of that course but I've never talked to anyone who's played it.

I'm with you, Slice. Appleby deserves credit for winning this week. News greens, wind, pressure to three-peat, wind, 1st tourney of the year and all that wind. The guy did a great job coming from behind against ... what's his name? Oh yeah, Vijay! First the tie and then the win almost holeing out that bunker shot. Great stuff.
BTW, Kapalua's 18th is alot of fun to watch. Those guys make it look easy but curling a shot 220+ yards onto that green is something else.